Sarah Everard murder: Shout out to a passer-by or wave a bus down - Met issues guidance to those concerned by lone officers
Sarah Everard was captured on a London bus' CCTV talking to Wayne Couzens before he handcuffed and falsely arrested her then put her in his car before raping and murdering her.
Friday 1 October 2021 17:59, UK
The Metropolitan Police has offered guidance for people concerned about being approached by a lone police officer following Sarah Everard's murder by a serving officer - including waving down a passing bus.
It comes after it was revealed Ms Everard was placed in handcuffs and falsely arrested in south London by Wayne Couzens before he drove her to Kent, raped her, strangled her with his police belt then burned her body in a fridge.
The advice acknowledged "women are worried" and the Met's officers are concerned about the impact on trust in police, but said it is "unusual for a single plainclothes police officer to engage with anyone in London".
It said if a person feels in "real and imminent danger and you do not believe the officer is who they say they are" they should shout out to a passer-by, run into a house, knock on a door, call 999 if possible or wave a bus down.
Ms Everard was captured on a bus's CCTV with Couzens just before he "arrested" her and forced her into his hire car.
Yesterday, Couzens was given a whole life order for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Ms Everard in March this year.
Policing minister Kit Malthouse earlier told Sky News' Kay Burley Couzens' actions have "undermined the good work of thousands and thousands of police officers".
He said the murder of Ms Everard by Couzens had "struck a devastating blow to confidence in the police, and in the Met Police in particular", but defended Met Commissioner Cressida Dick after calls for her resignation.
Zoe Billingham, the former chief inspector of constabulary, told Sky News the focus now needs to be on what needs to change in policing and what needs to be learned from "this monster, so it can never ever happen again".
The Met sent a letter to MPs last night, seen by Sky News, containing advice to those arrested by a single plainclothes officer, saying they should ask "some very searching questions" about who they are and what they are doing.
It adds that officers can expect the public to be "understandably concerned and more distrusting than they previously would have been, and should and will expect to be asked more questions".
Following grim details during Couzens' sentencing this week about how he used his position to falsely arrest Ms Everard, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities select committee, has joined senior Labour MP Harriet Harman in calling for Commissioner Dick to resign.
Ms Nokes told Sky News: "The Met need to rebuild trust, and telling women to run if someone purporting to be a police officer tries to arrest them is not a solution.
"The commissioner has had six months since Sarah Everard's murder to come out with a plan to help restore trust in the service she leads - since he pleaded guilty there has only been one outcome possible - she needed to lay out her plans to restore trust yesterday, in detail."
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But Mr Malthouse said he thinks Ms Dick should remain as he wants a police leader who is transparent and can learn lessons.
"I think that's Cressida Dick," he said.
He added that he thinks being Met commissioner is "possibly one of the top three most difficult jobs in the country", but having worked with Ms Dick for years he is confident she is "committed to whatever changes come out of the lessons learnt".
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